Correction to Upcoming Meeting2/23/17 (7pm City Council Chambers) meeting is a Planning Commission and Houghton Community Council joint study session ONLY. There will be NO Open House prior to meeting. Public comment is encouraged. If you cannot attend, meeting is broadcast live on KGOV and will be uploaded to Kirkland City website within a day or so.

Sample Letter Regarding Development at the HENCThis letter was asked to be into the meeting minutes by a Central Houghton neighbor who is concerned with the plans for the Houghton Everest Neighborhood Center (HENC). It was suggested to be used as a template for people who would like to communicate with the City Council, the Planning Commission and the Houghton Community Council.

Act now: and let your voice be heard if you want to give input for rezoning at the Houghton Everest Center, including nearby apartments, Met Market, PCC, office buildings, 7-11 & gas station. If you don’t act, be prepared for cranes to start digging underground parking and putting up 55’ tall - 5 story buildings with 1,000,000 square feet! This is only 20% smaller than the very large new Parkplace development called Kirkland Urban with 300 apartments and up to 5,500 additional workers. It is very similar in units and square feet to the large scale Village at Totem Lake under construction.

According to the city transportation expert: expect an increase of 3,300+ car trips/day here. Traffic could be 25% worse by 2035, increasing your 20 minute & 1.25 mile back-up to over 1.5 miles at one of the worst intersections in the City.

The City has already met Comprehensive Plan Growth Management goals and has in the pipeline 4,500 residential units, 746,000 sq. ft. of office space, and 760,000 sq. ft. of commercial/retail.

The City conducted a survey and held a workshop asking for input, residents overwhelmingly favored keeping low scale development and not adding to traffic. They asked to fix the traffic situation first.

To give input: act now and write emails and attend upcoming meetings. Next ones are Feb. 23 and March 23 at City Hall at 6:00 pm. Unless the City hears from many, many residents, they will proceed with zoning changes and there is no turning back.

Write to: the Kirkland Mayor, Kirkland City Council, Houghton Community Council, City Manager, City of Kirkland Planning Commission, and the Planning Department Staff.

Cut & Paste these email addresses into your letter. You can use the attached sample letter with your own modifications and name. DO NOT FORGET TO ADD YOUR NAME TO LETTER AT BOTTOM:

You can do this in less than 10 minutes. Ideally letters will be received by Feb. 22, but can be sent as late as early March.

If you want more information that can be used in writing letters, please email: lovehoughton@msn.com

Sample Letter concerning the HENC

​Dear Mayor Walen and City Council Members,cc: Houghton Community Council, Kirkland Planning Commission, City Manager and Planning Department staff

I am a Kirkland Resident and would like to convey my concerns with the proposed Houghton Neighborhood Center Plan. With the latest 5-story (55 foot tall) aggressive growth plan, I believe the following factors would negatively impact the infrastructure and livability of our treasured neighborhood areas of Houghton, Everest and Lakeview.

Traffic Congestion – Per the transportation consultant’s estimates, this plan would increase traffic by an additional 10%, with 3300+ daily trips added at this intersection that is one of the worst in the city. Unlike Kirkland Urban and Totem Lake, the existing roadways are not sufficient to support the added traffic in this area.

Over Growth and Excessive Density – According to the Growth Management goals, the city has already exceeded housing goals and there are 4,500 housing units already in the pipeline. Increasing the area’s density by 7 to 9X is excessive and unnecessary. This large plan will NOT increase retail for the neighborhood center, which was a goal of residents.

Multi-family on 106th Avenue NE should remain at its current zoning. 106th Ave NE is an unusually narrow street and large scale buildings on both sides would tower over both the street and the beloved Cross Kirkland Corridor Trail. The multi-family here is a transition zone to nearby single family homes.

I understand that growth is inevitable as Kirkland is a desirable place to live and work; however, as elected officials of the residents, I urge the Council to listen to their constituents input via survey, letters and workshop and manage growth to take place where and when it is needed. Don’t change this already successful center.

Now that Everest Neighborhood has weighed in, the Houghton Everest Neighborhood Plan should be updated to a design that suits the neighborhood and then zoning guidelines should be carefully developed along with additional community input. Ideally, you would re-visit these plans after Kirkland Urban, Totem Lake, and Northwest University projects are completed to be able to more accurately evaluate the impact to the current infrastructure and livability to the proposed area in question.

We have no President! What does this mean?• Monthly meetings are suspended until we get a President.• If you are interested in being President, please contact any of the officers• Major issues in our neighborhood will be updated on Facebook and/or Website

As the former president, Lisa McConnell will become a member of the steering committee. We appreciate her dedication to the neighborhood; for keeping us informed-on on local issues, as well as improving our neighborhood. Thank you, Lisa!

Eastside MarchBrian Granowitz is organizing Eastside March. The march is for the rights of immigration, plan parenthood, rights for women, and the current issues.

He is looking for help to organize. If you would like to help, please contact Brian at Eastsidemarchforjustice@outlook.com . He is in the early stages of organizing the march, meeting with city to get permit this past week. Expectations are to march from Carillion Point or Houghton Beach to Marina park with rally at end. Potential date is March 18th . You can get more information at Facebook.com/eastsidemarchforjustice

Houghton-Everest Neighborhood Center (HENC)There are several meetings coming up that will be moving the process forward. It is always good to attend to provide your feedback and to stay informed. Feb and March are most important to get to these meetings. If you care, write letters or attend meetings (or both)! We hope to get sample letters out to group before the 2/23 meeting.

• 01/17/17 City Council Study Session (Update)• 01/25/17 Transportation Commission• 01/26/17 Open House & Joint Study Session Planning Commission & Houghton Community Council http://kirkland.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=12&clip_id=3517• http://kirkland.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=39&clip_id=3515 Transportation Commission meeting is audio only. The item is referred to as the 6th Street Corridor Study on the agenda.• 02/21/17 City Council Study Session (Transportation Update)• 02/23/17 Open House & Joint Study Session Planning Commission & Houghton Community Council• 03/23/17 Open House & Joint Public Hearing Planning Commission & Houghton Community Council• 03/27/17 Houghton Community Council Meeting - Recommendation to City Council• 04/13/17 Planning Commission Meeting - Recommendation to City Council• April - May 2017 - City Council and Houghton Community Council Final Decision

Timber Ridge Apartment CARTimber Ridge Apartments CAR is now being processed (the apartments are located behind the 7-11 off 68th). The request is for an increase from 3,600 s.f. of lot area to 1,800 s.f. of lot area per unit. A density of 3,600 s.f./unit is equivalent to 12 units per acre, and a density of 1,800 s.f. per unit is equivalent to 24 units per acre.

The Timber Ridge Apartments CAR will be considered by the Planning Commission at their meeting on February 9th. The Planning Commission will make a recommendation to the City Council as to whether or not the request should proceed to the “Study Stage”. If the City Council decides that the request should proceed, additional analysis will take place this year, with any amendments to be adopted by the end of 2017. This webpage provides a more complete description of the entire process.

Northwest UniversityShort update – still waiting hearing date – expecting to e in March. Transportation commission was not aware of the changes to NWU. Asked that 6th cooridor study be included and reviewed.

From Tony Leavitt, senior planner for this project.‘A hearing date has not been set and it likely won’t be until March at the earliest. We have requested that the applicant address issues that came out of the public comments and we expect a response to those by the end of the month. A Notice of Hearing will be sent out and posted on the signs at least 3 weeks prior to the hearing. Staff will draft a recommendation prior to hearing that will be sent out at least 1 week before the hearing.’

Neighborhood Matching GrantThanks Lisa for submitting our grant which includes support for website and celebration next year.

The Neighborhood Matching Grant Program provides Kirkland neighborhoods the opportunity to apply for City funds to improve the quality of life in neighborhoods. Neighborhood matching grant funds have resulted in many physical improvements in the neighborhoods as well as community building activities.In the past we have done such projects as the CHNA website www.houghtonlives.com , 21years of the Houghtdown Picnic, Fourth of July parade floats, and newsletters and mailers.

Neighborhood Safety ProjectOur request for this year will be reviewed in Feb with decision in March – paint curb and potential flashing speed sign – along 68th

Walkway behind fire station is already being fixed so no longer on list as a safety project.

For the love of KirklandThe event, called “For the Love of Kirkland,” was held Monday, January 23. The presenter was Peter Kageyama, author of For the Love of Cities and Love Where You Live.It was a good meeting with positive energy towards Kirkland. The group came up with t-shirt ideas that would be unique to Kirkland; ‘if you were from Kirkland, you would understand’. The group also came up with a project that would excite the neighborhood. ‘Meet and Eat on the CKC’ won.

If you have not already, please join the CHNA Facebook page so you can get automatic updates.

Or check out the CHNA website.

Please check our Facebook page for any weather related updates to the meeting.

If you have not already, please join the CHNA Facebook page so you can get automatic updates.Or check out the CHNA website.Please check our Facebook page for any weather related updates to the meeting.

Tuesday April 9, 2019 7:00 pm(Special Meeting - Northwest University Master Plan)​*Please note that the default day for meetings is the second Tuesday of the months of September, November, January, March, and May. To be timely, we may call special meetings to discuss topics of major neighborhood interest.​Also note, CHNA does not typically meet during July and August, unless there is a specific immediate topic to share.